Europe's energy-intensive industrial enterprises are more and more relying on a range of traditional and attractively priced fuels that still guarantee long-term availability: fuel products upgraded from Rhenish lignite. And as part of continued internationalization , this versatile fuel now gets a product name that is understood around the globe: Lignite Energy, abbreviated "LE".

Pulverized lignite, which will be traded under the name "LE pulverized" in future, accounts for the largest share among the various upgraded products. Apart from that, fluidized-bed lignite, traded under the name "LE grained", and industrial briquettes, traded under the name "LE compact", will continue to be offered.

To cover the increased demand for "LE pulverized", RWE Power AG has commissioned another bowl-mill crusher at its Hürth location near Cologne in July 2012, which is worth EUR40 million and the second of its type in the Rhenish mining area. Thanks to this new crusher, the annual production capacity has been increased by 500,000 tons. Rheinbraun Brennstoff GmbH (RBB), being the subsidiary of RWE Power that is responsible for marketing Lignite Energy, is planning to sell more than three million tons of this fuel Europe-wide in this year alone, with the introduction of the new umbrella brand providing additional stimulus to sales.

Industries with high energy needs benefit from constantly low prices

Industries with high energy needs - especially the lime and concrete industry as well as asphalt-mixing and drying plants - are already replacing hard coal, natural gas and petroleum products by favorably priced "LE pulverized" today. This is not least due to the volatility of the energy and commodity markets. Lignite Energy offers features plant operators cannot find anywhere else: predictable prices, investment security, flexible supply and long-term availability.

Owing to energy prices that keep rising over the years, RBB is meanwhile able to supply customers well beyond Germany - via silo trucks or rail tank cars - with this versatile industrial fuel under economic conditions. Today, numerous companies in France, the Benelux countries and the Alpine region as well as companies in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary [http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=DOKJAA&search=Hungary&trestr=0x401 ] and Romania are already benefitting from Lignite Energy.